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Description: | H T 1915
image: A patient undergoing a saline infusion on a hospital ward in northern France. The wounded man lies in bed propped
up on pillows, his taut upper body and tight neck muscles revealing the pain he experiences as the doctor sitting beside him appears to
make an incision in his abdomen. Another doctor stands gently but firmly holding the patient's lower arm. A female nurse watches on,
standing beside a saline drip.
Henry Tonks was a surgeon before becoming an established artist and teacher at the Slade School of Art. During the war
he served as a RAMC doctor and worked with Sir Harold Gillies, one of the pioneers of plastic surgery. Tonks drew studies of facial
injuries before and after surgery, requiring accuracy, attention to detail and emotional understanding. These qualities are evident in
'Saline Infusion', where the pain of the patient is transmitted through the precisely-rendered tautness of his upper body. The delicacy of
the pastel medium, which reflects the mute compassion of the medical staff, contrasts with the hard tension in the man's
muscles.
Optimised | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | interior 01/3(4-15) women / womens work Western Front 1914-1918 British Army 1914-1918 Military Personnel British Army wounded / disabled medical / convalescence Western Front First World War British Red Cross Society military suffering | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Tonks, Henry | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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